Voyage Of Wonders

Aboard a luxury cruise sailing from Reykjavik to Amsterdam, KALPANA SUNDER encounters both sea and land adventures.

- Kalpana Sunder

SHE'S TALL AND STATELY-20 decks tall and 294 metres long and weighs 1,42,500 gross tons. With 1,500 crew members and 1,600 staterooms, that can house up to 3,100 guests in a variety of categories, she's a new generation ship. My husband and I are on an inaugural cruise from Reykjavik to Amsterdam, passing through the UK, Ireland, and France, on Norwegian Cruise Line's (ncl.com) newest ship, the Prima.

The cruise started in style, with a concert by singer Katy Perry and the customary breaking of a champagne bottle on the hull of the ship. The previous evening, we were treated to a LED light show and a scintillating music performance by Icelandic artists Olafur Eliasson and Briet Isis Elfar respectively, along with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at Harpa, the glittering opera house in Reykjavik, on the water's edge.

Our last Icelandic experience, just before embarking on the cruise, was at the Sky Lagoon, a high-end geothermal spa in Reykjavik, with a seven-step bathing ritual on offer, and an infinity pool overlooking the North Atlantic.

On board Prima, I am delighted to see my stateroom with a balcony on Deck 11, in pleasing muted shades, a sofa, cupboard and a well-appointed bathroom. I am a cruise virgin, and I am afraid I will lose my way on this massive floating hotel. But the next few days at sea reassure me. Touchscreen information panels are on the walls near the elevators, giving you the location of every place on the ship.